


More Than Curious

by miraculousstorytelling



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Denial of Feelings, M/M, Pre-Kerberos Mission, Training, Wingman Matt
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-16
Updated: 2017-02-16
Packaged: 2018-09-24 21:23:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,822
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9787502
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/miraculousstorytelling/pseuds/miraculousstorytelling
Summary: The first time Shiro saw Keith in the training room, he actually froze. The way Keith moved was absolutely captivating.Shiro hadn’t even realized he’d been staring until Matt slung an arm over his shoulders and chuckled. “Just curious, huh?”





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [lostinwander (flusteredkeith)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/flusteredkeith/gifts).



> Written for flusteredkeith as a late Valentine.

“That’s the new kid?”

Matt nodded, scraping at the metal mess hall platters for another spoonful of unpleasantly dry noodles. “Keith, yeah. Kind of a troublemaker, I heard.”

Shiro shrugged, chewing on a slice of stale bread. “I heard he can fly, though.”

“Better than you.” Matt chuckled and speared one of Shiro’s spare peas. “He broke your record two days ago.”

“Did he?” Shiro glanced back at the new recruit, sizing Keith up again now that he had a bit more information to work with. Keith seemed to notice and glanced up to catch his eye, almost daring him to keep watching. Shiro looked away reflexively, but when he looked back, he saw that Keith was still staring him down. This time, he didn’t back away from the challenge. He just smiled, eyeing the empty table around Keith and the rigid lines of his shoulders and back warning everyone to keep away. Then, he returned to his meal and pretended Keith wasn’t boring holes through him with an obvious glare. “Interesting,” he murmured.

 

The next time Shiro stopped to look over the class rankings, he hesitated at the list for the year below his. He scanned the list for Keith’s name, curious to see just where he stood.

“Number one in his class.” Matt pointed to Keith’s name right at the top. “Right here.” Shiro jumped and turned to look at him.

“Were you following me?” Shiro asked, gripping his books tighter in his arms.

“Shiro, I’m training for a mission when I graduate, I have a full load of classes, and I’m assisting two professors with research,” Matt deadpanned. “I don’t have time for sleep, much less stalking. Unlike you.” He poked Shiro’s shoulder. “If you’re so interested, try talking to him.”

“I’m just curious,” Shiro protested. “He beat my record.”

“Right. Curious.” Matt chuckled. “Come on. We’re gonna be late to class.”

Shiro allowed Matt to lead him away, but not before looking back at the list and smiling at Keith’s name right at the top. Keith might have the interpersonal skills and charisma of a cactus, but he certainly knew how to fly. Shiro could respect that. He could even admire it. However, that didn’t mean anything more than Shiro being interested in a fellow student.

 

The first time Shiro saw Keith in the training room, he actually froze. The way Keith moved was absolutely captivating. Rough, maybe. Untrained, maybe. But, Shiro was struck by just how sure and precise Keith’s every movement was. Every action, every shift of his body had a purpose, and while he didn’t always make the right move, Keith clearly had a reason for each step and each strike.

Shiro hadn’t even realized he’d been staring until Matt slung an arm over his shoulders and chuckled. “Just curious, huh?”

Shiro blushed and shrugged Matt’s arm away. “Cut it out.”

“Hey, Keith!” Matt called.

Shiro tensed, shooting Matt a warning look. “Matt…”

Keith broke away from his sparring partner, catching his breath now that he wasn’t focused on fighting. “Yeah?”

Matt raised a brow. He didn’t usually mind much when it came to titles and rank, but they were in the training room, and new recruits were watching to see how Keith addressed him, so Shiro knew Matt would make an exception. Especially if Keith was the handful Matt claimed.

“Yes, sir?” Keith corrected, barely restraining a very insubordinate eye roll.

“Shiro needs a sparring partner, and your partner needs a break.” Matt pushed Shiro forward, deliberately ignoring the deadly glare Shiro sent his way. “I’m sure he could teach you a lot.”

“Matt,” Shiro hissed.

Matt winked and whispered, “You can thank me later.”

Keith’s current partner flopped back to the mat with a grateful sigh. Keith simply shrugged and stepped around him. “Okay.”

Shiro grimaced, indecision twisting in his stomach, but in the end, his curiosity won out, and he led Keith to another section of the room. “You looked good out there.”

Keith raised a brow. “Yeah. I noticed you staring.” Clearly, he’d been a bit more aware of his surroundings than Shiro had guessed. Shiro blushed and turned away, dropping his things beside the mat.

“Watching others can help you improve your technique,” Shiro said, avoiding Keith’s eyes as he stretched. “Nothing wrong with picking up a few moves that way.”

“Does that apply to eating, too?” Keith asked, stretching beside him. “Sir?”

Shiro nearly fell over when he heard it, but he quickly regained his balance and moved to stretch the other leg. “Maybe.” Part of him had hoped Keith wouldn’t remember their brief staring contest, but he really should have known better. Given Keith’s reputation, he should have expected Keith to remember and actually call him out on it. Oddly enough, it just made him like Keith more. “You never know until you try.”

Keith raised a brow, but he didn’t say anything in response. He sent Shiro a few surreptitious looks, as though he was still trying to decide what he thought of Shiro. Shiro smiled to himself as he stepped onto the mat and moved into a defensive stance. At least they had one thing in common. Neither of them quite knew what to make of the other.

“Go ahead and attack me,” Shiro said, his voice low and calm.

Keith nodded and stepped up, easing into a stance of his own. He scanned Shiro’s body, cataloguing perceived weaknesses and building a strategy in the seconds it took him to find the perfect position. When he struck, Shiro caught his fist and brushed it aside, easily dodging the hit to his side Keith had planned as a follow-up. Rather than counterattack, Shiro stepped away and waited for another hit.

Keith frowned and feinted left, but Shiro was paying attention. Just like before, he was captivated by the way Keith fought. Every small gesture was just as intentional as the last time Keith fought, but Shiro had trained longer and knew better than Keith how to read the movements of his muscles and the subtle tells that gave away his plans. Shiro pretended to be fooled, waited to see that flash of triumph in Keith’s eyes before he darted away from Keith’s hit and sidestepped to the right, leaving Keith to barely catch his balance and pivot back to face Shiro.

“Are you gonna fight back?” Keith snapped.

“If you can land a hit, maybe,” Shiro teased.

Keith’s jaw clenched, and he stepped forward, aiming a blow at Shiro’s jaw. Shiro held up an arm to block it and jumped over the kick Keith aimed at his knee.

“Good. You noticed.” Shiro had mostly recovered, but his left knee was still sore, still a bit weaker than his right. The limp was gone, but Shiro hadn’t quite managed to entirely eliminate the tendency to favor his right side.

Keith ignored him in favor of a flurry of attacks, more speed than precision, which caught Shiro offguard. A light blow struck his shoulder, and Keith smirked.

“Nice work.” Shiro grinned. While the hit wasn’t exactly impressive, the fact that Keith was able to sneak past his defenses with an abrupt shift in tactics was. “Your turn to defend.”

Keith stepped back and steadied himself in preparation for Shiro’s next move. Once he was settled, Shiro moved closer, scanning his stance for any sign of weakness or obvious openings. He took two calming breaths then surged forward, landing a glancing blow against Keith’s shoulder and dodging the kick Keith sent his way in retaliation. He used the momentum to knock Keith off balance and send him toppling back onto the mat.

Keith glared up at him and refused the hand Shiro offered him. Instead, he stood and brushed himself off before moving back into position. Shiro was simultaneously amused and exasperated by Keith’s attitude, but he took it in stride and prepared for another attack of his own.

By the end, Keith was breathing hard, and Shiro wasn’t far behind him. Shiro had consistently knocked Keith back onto the mat, winding him a few times and irritating him for the rest. Shiro was certainly the more trained fighter, but Keith managed a few solid blows that left Shiro impressed and possibly bruising.

“That was impressive,” Shiro said between rapid breaths.

“I lost every time.” Keith scowled. “How is that impressive?”

“Because I’ve been doing this longer, and you put up a good fight.” Shiro smiled. “I’d be happy to offer you a few pointers, though.”

“Why?”

“Why not?” Shiro straightened, his breathing slowly evening out. He could feel the weight of Keith’s stare as he stretched. He refused to offer an explanation, waiting instead for Keith to lower his guard enough to accept his help. Once he’d finished stretching, ignoring Keith’s eyes on him the entire time, Shiro gathered up his things and sent him a soft smile. “I’m usually here after class, so let me know if you’re ever interested.”

Keith looked away, stretching silently rather than answer.

Shiro walked past him and headed for the door.

“Rematch tomorrow?” Keith asked softly before Shiro could leave entirely. Shiro could almost believe he imagined it until he looked back and saw Keith watching him expectantly.

Shiro nodded, an odd warmth filling his chest. “Sure.”

“See you then, sir.”

Shiro chuckled and turned to go, feeling almost like he’d accomplished the impossible. Matt met him at the door, smirking as he bumped shoulders with Shiro. “Anything you want to say?”

Shiro rolled his eyes, though his irritation wasn’t enough to sour his good mood. “Didn’t you say you were too busy to stalk me?”

“I’m living vicariously through your adorable crush. Sue me.” Matt grinned. “Good job getting a date for tomorrow, though.”

“It’s not a date,” Shiro corrected him softly as they stepped into the hall. “It’s training.”

“A training date is still a date.” Matt glanced down at his watch. “Shoot, I’m late for lab time.” He clapped Shiro’s shoulder and met his eyes with a serious expression. “Do me a favor and make plans to make out with him. Do it for all of us overworked upperclassmen.”

Shiro wanted to protest and remind Matt that he didn’t have any plans beyond helping Keith improve, but the words died in his throat when his mind wandered to what it might actually be like. He glanced back at Keith through the doorway into the training room. Just as Shiro would have expected, Keith was already engaged in a fight with someone else, moving just as fluidly and purposefully as before. Shiro could only imagine how Keith would move with him if they weren’t fighting.

“I’m counting on you, Shiro.” Matt shouted as he rushed off.

Shiro smiled and watched Keith for another long moment before he walked down the hall. Maybe Matt was right. Maybe, just maybe, he was a little more than curious when it came to Keith. 

**Author's Note:**

> [Also posted on tumblr under klance-my-way!](http://klance-my-way.tumblr.com/post/157305988540/more-than-curious)


End file.
